Traveler wait in a long security line at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
The Transportation Security Administration plans to let many travelers leave their shoes on at U.S. airport checkpoints, ending a roughly 20-year-old rule, according to people familiar with the matter.
The TSA briefed industry members about the change on Tuesday, the people said.
Most passengers have been required to remove their shoes at U.S. airport security checkpoints since 2006. The TSA at the time said it put the requirement for shoe removal or explosives screening because of “intelligence pointing to a continuing threat.”
That came after Richard Reid, who became known as the “shoe bomber,” tried and failed to ignite explosive material in his shoe on a Paris to Miami flight in December 2001.
Travelers enrolled in the TSA’s PreCheck program can already leave their shoes on and keep their laptops and similar electronics in their bags when going through airport checkpoints.
An air traveler places his shoes in a bin before passing through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security check at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
Robyn Beck | Afp | Getty Images
The agency declined to comment on the change and said that it and the Department of Homeland Security “are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture. Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
The news was reported earlier by Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who writes the Gate Access newsletter.
